Remember Me
by Alexien and Nixarac
Summary: Vexen is scared of being killed, he does not want to die. So long as someone remembers him though, Vexen thinks he could find peace if he were destroyed. OneShot, Vexen and Zexion have a conversation. No pairings.


Yay it's our first story!

We still get all upset about the Organization dying. Really, they just never really struck us as being evil. They were going about things the wrong way, but they had lost the main thing that tells a person the difference between right and wrong. The Organization had goals, and despite what stuff says, we're pretty sure they had emotions too. Emotions are what motivate, and without them, we doubt the Organization would have functioned at all. What they lost with their hearts was compassion, empathy, and conscience. They still had fears and hopes, and we wanted to write this to reflect that.

There, done with our rambling, scroll down and read the story already.

Disclaimer: We don't own any part of KH2; it all belongs to Disney and Squeenix.

Remember Me

"You'll still remember me, won't you? If I'm…" Vexen didn't finish the sentence, but it didn't matter. He didn't need to for his companion to know what he meant.

"Yeah. I will. How could I forget?" Zexion answered. They stood in Vexen's laboratory; Zexion had come upon Vexen's request for a talk. Lexaeus had not joined them, but that was irrelevant. Vexen had no questions for him that he could not answer himself.

"The others forget…" Vexen pointed out, he nearly scowled when he heard his own tone, so childish. But the conversation was important, so Vexen waved it away as necessary.

"I don't think so. Not all of them. Not really." If Zexion thought Vexen petulant, he didn't give any signs. "Xigbar remembers, that's why he makes all those stupid jokes. He thinks if he annoys us enough, we'll leave him alone so he can forget. Xaldin remembers, that's why he's so angry… and why Lexaeus is so quiet."

"And the Superior?" Vexen knows the answer, it is merely procedure to ask.

"He did forget." Zexion states it flippantly, common knowledge amidst the original six.

"So why would _you_ remember?" Vexen springs the real question. Zexion grows dreadfully still, his one visible eye narrows, sharply focusing on the Chilly Academic.

"…what are you saying?" Zexion's tone has changed from indifferent to dangerous, a warning sign.

"Just don't forget me. We're only remnants. Memory is the only reason we're here." Vexen backs off a little, he has seen Zexion's wrath, and it is not something he wants to experience.

"Now who's forgetting?" Zexion scoffs, acknowledging the recession with a less angry expression. "We're here because we're strong. Because our very beings refused to be defeated entirely, refused to release our minds and souls. We don't need to rely on memor-"

"Shut up!" Vexen is now the one who is angry. His response is automatic, and though a stab of what would be fear had he a heart runs through him, Vexen's gaze remains strong and icy. Zexion blinks, too surprised to respond with anger of his own again just yet.

"Don't talk like that! Talking like that will make you forget!" Vexen hisses furiously.

"I'm not going to-" Zexion protests, his brow furrowing, but Vexen cuts in again.

"How do you know!?" Vexen sounds more demanding this time, the hiss is gone.

"I know because I've tried." Zexion answers, his temper rising to meet Vexen's. The Cloaked Schemer delivers the words with an air of having wanted to say them for a very long time. His voice has not risen, it is matter-of-fact.

"You've… what?" A full-out confrontation seems to have been avoided, as being so stunned causes Vexen's anger to evaporate.

"I've tried." Zexion repeats, more intensely, but still not quite with the emotion that would match his words had he a heart. " I've tried to forget. Do you think I want to remember? Remember that all of this is our fault, and that we're following the madman who got us into this? Remember… remember those last moments… when our hearts were stolen… I don't want to. I'd give anything to forget. But I can't. So don't worry about me forgetting you, or anyone. Just go do what you have to, and if you die… than it won't matter. We aren't supposed to be alive anyway." Zexion turns and begins to walk away at a calm pace, as though the entire conversation had done nothing more than irritate him slightly.

"Zexion…" Vexen is still stunned by these words, he had no idea of just how much Zexion regretted the actions that had led to their becoming Nobodies.

"I don't have anything else to say." Zexion quips coldly, not looking back.

"Then just listen." Vexen responds simply. "I don't want to die. I don't want to leave. I want to get my heart back, get all our hearts back, and get back to living a real life."

"…" Zexion does not answer or turn back, but he stops walking.

"Why can't we just do that?" Vexen questions bitterly, it sounds almost rhetorical. "All of our goals are essentially the same, why does it matter who leads us to it? Why does it matter who has the power now, when there will be no Organization anyway once our hearts are regained? So just… why does Marluxia, why do _we_ have to do this? Why all the conspiracies?" There is a long pause, but Vexen knows better than to think this means Zexion won't reply, the Schemer is debating within himself whether or not to answer, and Vexen knows he is too interested to just leave without a final word. The pause lengthens, and Vexen actually begins to worry, what if Zexion does decide to just leave?

"Because, Vexen." The Cloaked Schemer answers, finally turning around to face his companion again. "Just because we call ourselves Nobodies, just because we have no hearts, doesn't mean we aren't still human. We still have our personalities, our minds. And as much as our goals may be the same, some people aren't fit to lead, and some aren't made to follow. Many of us are too proud to comply with direct orders for long. We have agendas of our own. Also, Xemnas is not meant to be a leader. He is strong and capable, he is a good speaker, and has his own plan, but he does not consider his followers as a threat, or as anything terribly important. We are expendable to him, just there on his path, and that makes him a terrible leader."

"How are you better than that?" Vexen raises an eyebrow, he is taking a risk with the question, the risk that Zexion will snap, but an answer could be worth it.

"I'm not. None of us are. All we can do is try." Zexion surprisingly does not even hesitate with his answer. His gaze is steely, as though daring Vexen to contest him, to attack him even. Vexen doesn't.

"But we'll fail." Is the only thing the scientist says.

"Maybe. But there's always the chance we won't. There's always a chance Vexen. I'm taking it, how about you?" Zexion has turned around to face the exit again, his question is as much a test as it is a challenge. Vexen hesitates, reluctant to think about such a trivial question that is still such a final decision.

"…I'll take it." Vexen answers finally. Zexion smiles, not a smirk of pride or condescension, but a smile of one who is reassured that he was correct, and is pleased.

"Good." Zexion gives a slight wave, and teleports away. Vexen waits, but the room is silent, Zexion has truly left.

"I'll take it… because I don't have another option." Vexen sighs and then leaves through the door Zexion had previously acted as though to exit. Vexen is well aware that he has just been manipulated, but he is still certain the answers he received are genuine. That's all that matters anymore, that the answers are true and correct. Vexen knows Zexion's answers are true… now he's going to see if they are correct. Vexen is scared of being killed, he does not want to die. So long as someone remembers him though, Vexen thinks he could find peace if he were destroyed.

So Vexen smiled, as he walked unknowingly to his death.

End.

Huh, didn't come out exactly as we'd planned, but whatever, we're still happy with it. Vexen and Zexion seemed like the only members of the original six who still had the whole intellectual thing goin' on. Not to say the others were stupid, they just didn't seem to be quite as into experiments as they were when they were researching the Heart. Anyway, review please!


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